Where's The Harm?
by Cari7
Summary: Harmony's place in the workings of Wolfram and Hart. Season 5. Thank you to Nicki and Chris for betaing parts of the story, tho all grammar and spelling errors are mine!


**Where's The Harm?**

_(Takes Place at some point between "The Girl In Question" and "Power Play".)_

"Wolfram and Hart, how may I help you?" Harmony said in her best perky, yet professional, manner as she picked up the phone. " No, I'm sorry but Angel isn't to be disturbed right… uh huh… yes but…. uh huh. Perhaps one of our other assoc…. uh huh."

Harmony rolled her eyes and suppressed a yawn.

Clients. They all thought that they were the most important thing Wolfram and Hart had going on and that Angel should just drop everything to talk to them.

"Yes…uh… sir…?" she said dutifully into the receiver. She had no idea if the being on the other end was a sir or ma'am, both or neither. Luckily, it took no notice of her attempt to address it and continued it's ranting at her.

The elevator doors opened. Spike stepped into the lobby and made a beeline for Angel's office.

"I'm sorry, can you hold please?" Harmony said hurriedly into the phone. Without waiting for a reply, she pressed the hold button.

"You can't go in there Spike." She said before he reached the door.

The blond vamp frowned at her as he approached her desk.

"And why not? What? He get turned into a bloody jack in the box this time?"

"I don't think so…" Harmony paused, realizing that with this job she couldn't really assume he _hadn't _been. She'd only heard him over the intercom after all. Behind the locked door and opaque windows, he could be _anything_ as far as she knew. "I don't know." She said after a moment. "He's been in there all morning. Door's locked. I'd have to buzz anyone in, but I haven't done that because he told me _not_ to let anyone in."

Spike's eyes narrowed. "Well I'm sure that doesn't include me." He said sauntering toward the door again.

_Yeh right_. She thought.

"Actually, he said 'Don't let anyone in, especially Spike'." She told him.

Spike walked back over to the desk.

He smiled at her. "Come on Harm. Tell me what's going on in there. Meeting? New client? Maybe giving Dog Girl a bone on the desk?"

Harmony wrinkled her nose. "Yeh, like that'll last. I mean, most women I know shave to _keep _from being hairy…" The hold button started to flash for her attention. With a sigh she pushed it twice, disconnecting the call. She picked up a pink nail-file and began buffing her nails. "I have no idea what he sees in her."

"Hmm. You sound jealous pet. You're not thinking of spending some after hours time with the boss are you?"

Actually, she had thought about it… once or twice. He had the power, the cars, the expense account. And, hey, _look _at him! But … she didn't think Angel was interested… or even liked her much for that matter. And besides, what if he got bored and "fired" her? No, it was better to just stick to a professional relationship.

"Don't be ridiculous." She said to Spike. "He's not my type. And besides, a boss and secre… assistant? That's such a stereotype."

"Oh sure." Spike said in disbelief.

Putting down her nail file, she picked up one of her pink pencils and pretended to be interested in a supply form. "I really don't know what he's doing in there, Spike. But even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. You aren't going in there. I don't want to get fired."

"Aw, come on now. A talented girl like you," Spike said, looking pointedly at her chest, "would find another job soon enough."

Harmony frowned. "Hello? I'm up here!" she said, pointing to her face. "And besides, you know very well how Angel _fires_ people."

Spike rolled his eyes. "So he cut a few lawyer's heads off. Big deal. Drop in the snake-pit." He smiled again. "I'm sure a secretary of your caliber is harder to come by."

After a moment she smiled back. He was trying to be charming and even though she knew he was full of crap, it was working.

But she had a job to do, and a boss who took the term "getting the axe" waaaay too literally, smiling Blondie Bear or not.

"Thank you Spike, It's _assistant_. And I am a good assistant. Which is why you aren't going into that office."

Spike threw his hands up in the air. "Bugger! Tell the ponce I'm taking the Viper then!" he said as he stalked into the elevator, bumping Wesley who nearly lost the stack of folders he was carrying. Illyria trailed after him.

"Good morning Harmony." Wesley said as he walked toward Angel's office.

"Good morning and you can't go in there." She said.

"What? Why?" Wesley turned and the stack of folders swayed dangerously.

"He doesn't want to be disturbed." She said reaching out to take some of the folders off the top.

"I can break the door down if you wish." Illyria said, cocking her head at Wesley in that way that vaguely reminded Harmony of an insect.

"NO… I mean, that won't be necessary." Wesley said. He turned back to Harmony, trying to keep his composure.

"Your work is important. It should be heard." Illyria told him.

"It… will be. It's fine." Wesley's voice was tight and clipped.

_He's as creeped out by Illyria as the rest of us._ Harmony thought. _Maybe more._

"Well then, did he say when he _would_ be available?" he asked her.

"No, sorry. I can take a message and have him get back to you as soon as he is though." She said helpfully.

In spite of Harmony's soulless, evil vampire nature, she genuinely liked Wesley. Well, as much as that soulless, evil vampire nature allowed her to at least. If nothing else, he'd brought her up from the secretarial pool to be Angel's assistant. Which, had its own special sets of problems, but also had a better benefits package. In some ways she was a practical girl and appreciated that.

Wesley smiled slightly. "Thank you Harmony. That will fine. I'll be in my office."

_And he's just always nice._ She thought. _Cute too, in a gloomy sort of way. _She smiled back. "You're welcome."

Picking up his errant folders, Wesley made his way down the hall, greeting Gunn as he passed.

"Angel in yet?" Gunn asked, straightening his tie. "I need to brief him on what not to say to our new Borean Demon client."

"He's not to be disturbed." Harmony told him, feeling like a broken record. "Sorry."

"What? This is the second time he's pulled this, this week!" Gunn ran his hand over his closely cropped hair. "All right, the minute, no, the second, he comes out, you tell him I need to see him."

"I will, don't worry." Harmony said, writing down a note to herself on a pink stick it pad.

"I'm counting on you." Gunn said as he walked back toward his office.

_Counting on me._ Harmony thought and smiled.

Angel was the top of the ladder but they had to go through her to get to him and that was power, kind of.

It felt good.

She began to hum "I'm Walking On Sunshine" to herself.

"Ah, you don't need sunshine, you _are_ sunshine!" Lorne said, coming around the corner. "Good morning to you, Sugar Plum. Has Angel Cakes had his morning cup of "O" yet? I want to run a few things by him and he's always in a better mood after his transfusion."

Harmony sighed. "He's…"

"Oh let me guess, 'not to be disturbed'?" Lorne shook his head. "Gloom and doom. He needs a vacation. Fat chance of that happening though."

"Yeh." Harmony said with a strained smile.

"Tough morning, Cookie?" he asked sympathetically.

"I like my job, you know?" Harmony said. "But, I'm not really… I mean, Angel's got something going on and… If he'd just tell me…" She paused for a moment. "People depend on me. He depends on me, even if he doesn't really seem to know that. What I do is important. And I've been very good, you know. Even when I didn't want to be and even when I was pretty sure he wouldn't find out that I wasn't. And it's hard for me sometimes, but I do it. But…."

Lorne nodded. "I hear you, Sugar. But that's Angel. And it's not like he's telling any of us, either."

"But at least you're part of The Team." Harmony said softly.

"Well, sure." He said "But that just because we aren't…uh."

"Evil?"

Lorne tisked-tisked through his teeth and patted her arm. "Now, Honey… It's not that you are really, really evil. But… you know."

Harmony sighed. "Yeh, ok. I know. That's the problem. I'm not good enough, and I'm not evil enough. I guess that's why I'm just a secre… assistant."

"A really good one." he enthused. "I mean, look how well you are keeping everyone out."

Lorne dusted imaginary lint off his bright orange sleeve. "Ok, well tell Mr. Tall, Dark and Broody Pants that I need to talk to him, pronto."

"You and everyone else." Harmony mumbled as he strolled off toward the elevator.

The phone rang.

"Wolfram and Hart, how may I help you?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The building had quieted down and it was almost time to go home when the intercom beeped and Angel called her into his office.

"Sit down Harmony." He told her without looking up from the file in front of him.

Harmony sat in the chair opposite his desk. She couldn't help but stare at the array of weapons on the wall right behind his chair.

"I've been going over some things today." He said in that soft, even tone of his. "Evaluations of the employees."

"Uh… Oh?" she stammered and regretted it when he gave her a sharp, dark-eyed glance.

"Yours in particular." He said after a moment. Standing up, Angel moved over to the window and stared out over the city.

"It's not a secret that I didn't want you here." He said.

Harmony swallowed nervously and her gaze ticked back to the wall of weapons.

"You're a vampire, you have no soul and I should stake you where you stand." He said bluntly. "But… You are good at what you do."

Harmony sagged slightly in the chair, afraid to speak but just as afraid not to.

"Thank you…?" she managed finally.

Angel turned around and leaned against the windowpane. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and studied her for a moment.

"Do you like working here at Wolfram and Hart?"

Harmony nodded quickly. "Yes! Very much."

"So… you're a company player. You'll do what needs to be done for the good of the company, right?"

A tiny warning alarm went off in Harmony's head but she wasn't exactly sure why. "Y-yes… I… like my job and I like working here." She said hesitantly.

"Umm hmmm. I think that I finally get how this all works." Angel said. "Corporate life… running this place. It's all about compromises. Sometimes the greater good comes not from trying to keep people from doing what they do, but from letting them be who they are."

"Ok…" she said, confused but a bit more confident he hadn't called her in to behead her. "So… that means my evaluation was… good?"

Angel smiled slightly. She didn't notice that it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeh, Harmony, it was good. You've been a good secretary and I'm starting to realize that if I let you be who you are, you'll be able to help me more. I'm learning to go with people's strengths."

_What the hell is he talking about? _She thought.

"Glad to be of help, Boss." She said with a smile.

"Good. I'm glad we talked." Angel said, turning back to the view of the city. "You can go home now."

"Great." Harmony started for the door then paused. "Uh, Boss…?"

"Yes, you're getting a raise." Angel said without turning around.

"Thanks! Ok… see you tomorrow!"

Angel heard the door close. He listened as Harmony's footsteps faded away across the lobby.

The wheels were in motion now.

The fact that he didn't feel at all ready for what was going to happen wouldn't stop that.

_Well, I'll just play the cards I have and hope for the best_. He thought. _It's not like I have a choice._

He sighed, shoulders slumping for a moment. Then he straightened up and walked back over to his desk.

Sitting down, he looked over Harmony's personality profile once more before closing the file.

She may not be the brightest bulb on the string, but that was ok.

More than ok actually.

And besides, he knew enough about her to know one thing for sure:

Harmony would always land on her feet.


End file.
